Into the Light by Patti Caroline T

Author:Patti, Caroline T.
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Month9Books, LLC
Published: 2016-07-27T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

Gage

I’ve interrupted an intense moment—this I can clearly tell. I give them a beat to divulge what they’ve been so intently discussing, but they’ve both gone quiet. I can see that Mercy’s been crying. Her eyes are rimmed pink, and the tip of her nose is red. I have a strong urge to console her and slap Nathaniel all at the same time, but I squash those feelings and get back to the matter at hand.

“What did you find?” Mercy finally asks.

“There’s an anti-binding potion,” I ask.

“Great. Let’s do it,” Nathaniel says.

“It’s not that easy,” I explain. “Ingredients are difficult to find.”

“How difficult?” Nathaniel asks, an edge to his voice.

“Water from the river difficult,” I say.

“That’s not difficult,” Nathaniel scoffs. “That’s impossible!”

“What river?” Mercy asks.

“Nathaniel, we just need someone who can cross over,” I say as if it’s easy, which we both know it’s not.

“What river?” Mercy asks again.

“I thought you said you’d actually found something useful.”

“I have.”

“Really? Go get it then. We’ll just wait here.” He checks his fake watch. “You’ll be back in, what? Never?”

“Don’t be an ass,” I say to Nathaniel. “I’m only trying to help clean up the mess you made.”

“Fuck you!”

“Stop!” Mercy yells. “Stop fighting! And tell me about the river.”

“When you cross the bridge,” I start.

“When you die,” Nathaniel adds.

“As I was saying,” I glare at Nathaniel and then turn my attention to Mercy, “when you cross the bridge from this life to the next, there’s a river. It’s the river of life. We need water from the river to extract Nathaniel and keep Toby alive.”

“So, let’s go,” Mercy proposes.

“Aren’t you listening?” Nathaniel says snidely. “The only way to cross the bridge is if you die. And once you cross, you can’t get back. If you don’t go into the light at the end of the bridge, you’ll end up in Purgatory. That’s the way it works.”

“Maybe,” I add.

“No.” He waves me off. “Whatever you’re thinking, just forget it.”

“She might have a chance,” I try. “We at least have to consider it.”

“No.” Nathaniel blazes toward me and forcefully grabs my shoulders. “Listen to me very carefully. There is absolutely no way she’s doing this.”

“What if I can?” Mercy asks.

“You can’t,” Nathaniel snaps.

“How do you know?” Mercy folds her arms indignantly across her chest.

Nathaniel releases me and faces Mercy. “Because I’ve seen it. I’ve seen what happens when you reject the light. You have no chance against it, Mercy. And I’m not going to let you try. Not for me. We’ll figure out another way.”

“What other way? We don’t have any other way! Nathaniel, Jay is one of my best friends. I have to do this. For him.” Mercy’s expression changes. She reaches into her back pocket and removes her phone. “It’s Jay.” She shows us the screen. “He’s looking for Toby.”

“Tell him you don’t know anything,” Nathaniel advises Mercy.

“That’s a lie,” Mercy replies.

“That’s your big concern here? Lying?”

“Don’t say anything to Jay just yet, okay?” I say. “If you don’t answer, you’re not lying.

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